Sharks sweep Ducks, earn date with Knights

Tomas Hertl scored the winning goal 76 seconds after the Anaheim Ducks tied the game midway through third period, and San Jose goalie Martin Jones made 30 saves as the Sharks swept their California rivals with a 2-1 victory Wednesday night in San Jose.

Hertl first forced a Ryan Getzlaf giveaway that resulted in a point shot for Marc-Edouard Vlasic, and then deflected the puck into the net with 10:51 remaining in the game to the delight of the SAP Centre faithful. Hertl scored in his third consecutive game.

"First it hit my stick and maybe my body, too," Hertl said, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. "I didn't know for a second, but I saw (teammate Logan) Couture celebrating. It's a really great feeling, but I'm just happy for the win."

The Sharks, who will meet the Vegas Golden Knights in the second round, swept a playoff series for only the second time in franchise history.

"Any time you sweep a team it's a lot closer than you realize," Sharks captain Joe Pavelski said, according to the Chronicle. "There were some key moments guys made some big plays. It definitely gives us confidence we can win."

Looking ahead to the matchup with the Golden Knights, who won the Pacific Division this year as an expansion team, Sharks coach Peter DeBoer said, "I haven't dove into them enough. We'll be heavy, heavy underdogs, and I hope you guys will write that."

See the best photos from the playoffs so far:

15PHOTOS

The best photos from the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs

See Gallery

The best photos from the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs

LAS VEGAS, NV - APRIL 13: William Carrier #28 of the Vegas Golden Knights tries to stay with the puck as he gets knocked down by Paul LaDue #38 and Trevor Lewis #22 of the Los Angeles Kings in the second period of Game Two of the Western Conference First Round at T-Mobile Arena on April 13, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA - APRIL 13: Brandon Tanev #13 of the Winnipeg Jets fights Daniel Winnik #26 of the Minnesota Wild in Game Two of the Western Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on April 13, 2018 at Bell MTS Place in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (Photo by Jason Halstead /Getty Images)

SAN JOSE, CA - APRIL 16: Joonas Donskoi #27 of the San Jose Sharks shoots and scores getting his shot past goalie John Gibson #36 of the Anaheim Ducks during the second period in Game Three of the Western Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at SAP Center on April 16, 2018 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

NEWARK, NJ - APRIL 16: Blake Coleman #20 of the New Jersey Devils celebrates his empty net goal at 19:02 of the third period against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game Three of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Prudential Center on April 16, 2018 in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils defeated the Lightning 5-2. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

PITTSBURGH, PA - APRIL 11: Matt Murray #30 of the Pittsburgh Penguins makes a diving save against Scott Laughton #21 of the Philadelphia Flyers in Game One of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at PPG Paints Arena on April 11, 2018 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Joe Sargent/NHLI via Getty Images)

ANAHEIM, CA - APRIL 12: (L-R) Timo Meier #28, Brent Burns #88 and Paul Martin #7 of the San Jose Sharks celebrate Burns' goal in the second period against the Anaheim Ducks in Game One of the Western Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Honda Center on April 12, 2018 in Anaheim, California. (Photo by Jeff Gross/Getty Images)

WINNIPEG, MANITOBA - APRIL 11: Fans of the Winnipeg Jets welcome their team to the ice as they took on the Minnesota Wild in Game One of the Western Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs on April 11, 2018 at Bell MTS Place in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. (Photo by Jason Halstead /Getty Images)

BOSTON, MA - APRIL 14: David Pastrnak #88 of the Boston Bruins celebrates after scoring a goal against the Toronto Maple Leafs during the first period of Game Two of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at TD Garden on April 14, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)

LOS ANGELES, CA - APRIL 17: Jonathan Quick #32 of the Los Angeles Kings allows a goal to Brayden McNabb #3 of the Vegas Golden Knights for a 1-0 lead during the second period in Game Four of the Western Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Staples Center on April 17, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. The Golden Knights would win the game 1-0 and sweep the series 4-0. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)

Apr 14, 2018; Nashville, TN, USA; Nashville Predators left wing Viktor Arvidsson (33) makes a jump screen as Colorado Avalanche goalie Jonathan Bernier (45) makes a save during the third period in game two of the first round of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Bridgestone Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-USA TODAY Sports TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

SAN JOSE, CA - APRIL 18: Dylan DeMelo #74 of the San Jose Sharks and Nick Ritchie #37 of the Anaheim Ducks collide during the first period in Game Four of the Western Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at SAP Center on April 18, 2018 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)

PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 18: Nolan Patrick #19 of the Philadelphia Flyers is unable to get the puck past Matt Murray #0 and Brian Dumoulin #8 of the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second period in Game Four of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Wells Fargo Center on April 18, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

DENVER, CO - APRIL 22: Austin Watson #51 of the Nashville Predators celebrates scoring a goal against the Colorado Avalanche in Game Six of the Western Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Pepsi Center on April 22, 2018 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)

PHILADELPHIA, PA - APRIL 22: Jake Guentzel #59 of the Pittsburgh Penguins celebrates a first period goal by Sidney Crosby #87 against Michal Neuvirth #30 of the Philadelphia Flyers in Game Six of the Eastern Conference First Round during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Wells Fargo Center on April 22, 2018 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Penguins defeated the Flyers 8-5 to win the series 4-2. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)

Apr 22, 2018; Denver, CO, USA; Referee Tim Peel (20) breaks up Colorado Avalanche defenseman Patrik Nemeth (12) and Nashville Predators left wing Kevin Fiala (22) in the second period in game six of the first round of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Pepsi Center. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

Up Next

See Gallery

Discover More Like This

HIDE CAPTION

SHOW CAPTION

of

SEE ALL

BACK TO SLIDE

San Jose's Marcus Sorensen also tallied for the third consecutive game, scoring at 5:43 of the opening period.

Sorensen was parked in front of the net when Ducks goalie John Gibson stopped a Brent Burns point shot. Sorensen denied on his first rebound attempt, during which he fell to the ice, but he regained his feet, made a nifty move to get the puck back to his stick and snapped his next opportunity into the cage.

Anaheim's Rickard Rakell thought he had tied the game 27 seconds into the third period, but Sharks coach Pete DeBoer successfully challenged the play as offside.

No review was necessary when Andrew Cogliano put the Ducks on the board with 12:07 remaining in the third period. Jakob Silfverberg won the battle on the boards to get the puck to Kesler, who promptly spied Cogliano in front of the net, and he made no mistake.

Jones was the difference-maker from start to finish, making all kinds of big saves late in all three periods. He denied Getzlaf in the opening frame, had Corey Perry looking to the sky in the final minute of the second period and then came up with a big stop on Brandon Montour before time expired.

The Sharks netminder also had a saved-by-the-horn moment at the end of the second period when Getzlaf slipped the puck into the net but it came less than one second after the period ended.

Gibson stopped 22 shots for the Ducks, who were last swept in a series by the Detroit Red Wings in 1999.

"Obviously, this was a much more competitive hockey game," Ducks coach Randy Carlyle said. "We did a lot of things we planned to do, and we didn't do them in the first three games. ... We were much more competitive around the net. Much more second and third opportunities. Cleaner with the puck. We played a much more aggressive, under-control game."